Batter's Box Interactive Magazine - Rangers 3, Jays 2

Rangers 3, Jays 2 - The Dustin McGowan Roundup

Well they say I should approach you
With caution
But not to let you be aware of my fear
Never know what you'll find

I missed yesterday's game. Dustin McGowan's major league debut and I missed it. What could pull me away from such an event? I was helping my sister move furniture.

McGowan's box line certainly looks impressive: 5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 0 HR. But how did he look out there? For that we'll ask the Bauxites and the media:

Rob: Dustin McGowan's slider is fun to watch. So was his whole start, but I noticed right away that something was way off on that pitch, the HBP -- even before the ball left his hand -- though I couldn't figure it out by rewinding, pausing and going frame-by-frame through the tape. Something in that pitching motion just looked wrong. It's bothering me...does anyone know what happened there? Arm slot? Arm angle?

Ryan Day: McGowan is good. He was shaky, particularly in the early going, but even still, Texas batters couldn't touch him. Neither of the hits he gave up were particularly hard.

Named For Hank: I, too, am excited by McGowan, but it was just one start. One totally kick-ass start, but I'd like to see a few more before I declare him emperor and give him a golden car. But so far I have to say I'm really jazzed about the pitching that's starting to show up from the farm system.

Spencer Fordin: Despite a no-decision, Toronto starter Dustin McGowan pitched well in his Major League debut. The rookie walked the first two batters he faced, but settled down shortly thereafter. The right-hander worked five innings and allowed just two hits, striking out six batters against three walks. The only run he allowed came on a sacrifice fly in the second inning.

Gregg Zaun: "He had a little trouble with his fastball -- getting it over -- but the breaking ball and the changeup were there for him. That says a lot about the kid's makeup. Hopefully, we'll be able to use that mid-90's fastball a little bit more the next time.

Mike Rutsey: Dustin McGowan, the Blue Jays' No. 1 pick in 2000, admitted he had butterflies before his first major-league start and two batters into the game it showed.

McGowan walked David Dellucci on a 3-2 count, then followed by walking Michael Young on four pitches.

When you have dreaming for this moment all your life it isn't quite the way to fulfill your dream.

When he fell behind the next batter, the dangerous Mark Teixeira, pitching coach Brad Arnsberg came out for a fatherly chat.

Whatever he said worked. McGowan retired the next three batters and went on to hold the dangerous Rangers lineup to two hits and one run in his five innings.

John Gibbons: We really haven't looked at it but he deserves another, I'd say. It would have been nice to get him a win.

John Gibbons (again): After the first couple of hitters he settled in. He had a very good change up, threw some good breaking balls and was around the plate. I was very impressed.

He's got to feel good. It would have been nice to get him a win.

Allan Ryan: Now that Dustin McGowan has his major league debut out of the way — and impressively so — one can ask: How can Roy Halladay possibly crack this rotation?

As always, the last word goes to the Bauxites. What are you first impressions of Dustin McGowan?

Posted by Pepper Moffatt on Sunday, July 31 2005 @ 09:27 AM EDT.

Rangers 3, Jays 2 - The Dustin McGowan Roundup | 10 comments | Create New Account

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.

Flex - Sunday, July 31 2005 @ 10:23 AM EDT (#124288) #

I think I deserve some props for the way McGowan pulled it out in the first inning -- I listened to the first two men get walked, then he fell behind the next guy and I turned the radio off. No coincidence the damage ended right there.

Seriously though, I did catch his 5th inning on TV, and I liked what I saw. Big, confident looking kid. It says a lot about him that after the shaky start he pulled it out with no runs across in that first inning. A lot of kids would have wilted. In the fifth, after the HBP, he even had a little smirk on his face, no doubt at his own expense. He seems to be making a habit lately of ending his games after five innings, so I'd like to see him go deeper, but you can't ask for much more from a debut.

Worth the wait, I'd say.

the mick - Sunday, July 31 2005 @ 11:57 AM EDT (#124290) #

Watched every minute of McGowan. I was really impressed. You heard it with Bush, you saw it with Chacin, you saw it with McGowan; great composure. I remember watching Corey Thurman when he was a hopeful and he had that look in his eyes; abject fear. The new breed doesn't seem to get rattled. When McGowan made the mistake on his fastball in the first inning and still blew it by Blalock, I thought we were in good shape. And we were. Look forward to his next few starts.

A - Sunday, July 31 2005 @ 12:28 PM EDT (#124291) #

McGowan looked good -- but not great. With awsome stuff, McGowan's challenge was keeping his pitches over the plate. Texas was very patient and probably got to the 'pen an inning, or maybe even two innings, early because of it (McGowan had about a 1:1 ball:strike ratio). I think locating pitches consistently is just one of those things a minor league hurler will improve on until he can throw to his spots at will. Clearly McGowan knows how to pitch.

Changing speeds was probably McGowan's most effective tool, with the duce as a great out-pitch that Texas seemed to just keep pounding into the turf for mild groundouts. At one point McGowan hit 96 with the heater and then came back with a change at 78. The heart of the Texas order just couldn't get their timing.

But I do have a question about McGowan's arsenal...I was sitting up in 530 so I couldn't detect much other than fastball/changeup/curve, does the young rightie have more than one fastball? At some points the fastball was up to 96MPH and then at other points he'd be down around 89-91 and they would still flash "Fastball" on the stadium scoreboards. I know the folks up stairs aren't flawless but they labelled pitches at 89 a fastball a number of times without referring to a 2 or 4-seam fastball. The scoreboard opperators also called pitches at 86 a change up when McGowan was throwing his change predominently between 78-82MPH. So I'm just hoping someone can offer either an explanation of McGowan's arsenal or confirm some messy scoreboard opperation.

...The future is bright

Dave Till - Sunday, July 31 2005 @ 12:44 PM EDT (#124292) #

McGowan looks like a classic drop and drive pitcher, in the same mould as Clemens and Seaver. He's stocky without being overweight, he has tremendous composure, and he has a 95 mph fastball, and a curve and change he's not afraid to use any time in the count. The only thing keeping him from major league stardom is more consistent command.

Of course, you can say that about Justin Miller, too, but McGowan doesn't seem too far away from being ready. Once he got past his first-inning jitters, he wasn't afraid to challenge hitters with good stuff. I'd rather see him in the rotation than, say, Walker or Gaudin.

Mylegacy - Sunday, July 31 2005 @ 01:04 PM EDT (#124294) #

Changing speeds like a ten year veteran, great off speed stuff and a fast ball faster than a speeding train. Now if he can only leap large buildings in a single bounce.....

If I wasn't a guy, if I wasn't already married, and if he wasn't a guy instead of a lot chic, and a few other and's... I'd marry the guy!

God willing we saw the first game of a wonderful career. AND I got it on tape!

The only small beef is his fastball seemed straight to me.

uglyone - Sunday, July 31 2005 @ 09:45 PM EDT (#124334) #

Mcgowan > Burnett

TamRa - Sunday, July 31 2005 @ 11:43 PM EDT (#124345) #

^^

NOW?

That's a prety bold assertion.

I think their respective ceilings are certainly comparable, and it's not impossible for a young pitcher to step to the front of the rotation in his first year...but it's not common either. it's a very high risk manuver to expect McG to be a front of the rotation guy next year.

Don't get me wrong, I love the guy, but I'm not willing to kick a big dent in contention next year gambling that he's ready for that sort of contribution.

CeeBee - Monday, August 01 2005 @ 08:24 AM EDT (#124350) #

Of course we are all seeing what Chacin is doing this year......stranger things have happened :)

uglyone - Monday, August 01 2005 @ 10:33 PM EDT (#124423) #

What's scary about his first game is that Dustin was clearly overthrowing his fastball, and didn't have great control over it as a result.

A pretty clear case of MLB debut nerves, IMO.

Can't wait to see how he looks when he's on with his fastball.

A - Tuesday, August 02 2005 @ 12:41 AM EDT (#124430) #

Uglyone, what signs did you see of McGowan overthrowing his fastball? It's not a rhetorical question, just given my previous question that's gone unanswered, I'm still not sure where his fastball normally settles in at.

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